Thursday: Rain Likely, High Near 70

Washington: Today - Rain likely, high near 70, low near 40. The chance of rain is 70 per cent today and 40 per cent tonight. Friday - cloudy, windy and colder, high in the mid 50s.

Maryland: Today - Rain, highs will range from the 50s to low 70s, lows from the mid -to near 60. Friday - Cloudy, windy and colder, high in the 60s.

Virginia: Today - Rain, highs will range from the mid 50s to the mid 70s, lows from the upper 20s to mid 40s. Friday - Cloudy, windy and colder, high in the 50s.

Extended Area Outlook for Saturday through Monday - Cold wind variable cloudiness through Monday.Highs will average from the upper 40s to low 50s, and lows in the low to mid 30s. Normal Washington temperatures for the period are a high of 58 and a low of 40.

Lower Potomac and Chesapeake Bay - Early morning fog, with showers likely by afternoon. Winds will be southerly at 10 to 15 knots switching to the west at 15 to 25 knots by nightfall. Visibility will be less than 3 miles.

West Virginia: Today - Rain, ending during the night, high in the 60s, low in the 50s. Friday - Partly cloudy and cooler, high in

The National Weather Forecast for Today - Snow showers will fail over the upper Mississippi Valley and the extreme northwestern section of the Great Lakes. Rain is likely over the rest of the Great Lakes region into the Appalachians and the Atlantic Coast except for New England. Rain will fall from Washington and northern Oregon into northwestern Montana with snow in the higher elevations. Skies will remain cloudy over the middle Mississippi Valley. Most other areas will have sunny skies.Temperatures will be colder from the western Great Lakes into the Mississippi Valley and western Gulf Coast. Mild weather will continue in the East. It will be cold over the northern Plains, but warmer in the southern part of the Plateau. Temperatures will be seasonably cool in the extreme northwest, and mild in the extreme southwest.

The Council of Government Air Quality Index for yesterday showed the high reading in the Washington area during the 3 p.m. period was 25 for the pollutant, photochemical oxidants.Index values between 25 and 49 indicate fair air quality. When the index exceeds 100 to the air is considered very unhealthy and individuals with lung, heart and eye ailments are urged to restrict their activity. The forecast for today indicates that the air quality will improve.

The National Weather Service forecasts the Potomac River stage at Little Falls should rise from 6.5 feet to near 8 feet today. Stages above 5 feet are considered hazardous for recreational purposes.